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Great Writing - Home > Extended > The Ride to the Little Bighorn - The Red Devils - Chapter 33
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Extended Work
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| The Ride to the Little Bighorn - The Red Devils - Chapter 33 | |
| By jean.day | ||||||||||||
| 19 March 2008 | ||||||||||||
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If you are not sick to death of this story by now, this chapter (and the next few) contain the writings of both Mark Kellogg and George Custer - telling about the march from Bismarck to the Big Horn - roughly 300 miles - which took them about a month. I think it is full of fascinating detail - but then I am prejudiced. April 22nd I have finally finished the end part of my essay - about the battle and the aftermath. VI. Events in 1876 leading up to the battle. In the spring of 1876, implementation of the plan to put down the hostile Indians was delayed because of bad weather. The plan was that the Seventh Cavalry units would proceed westwardly under Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer. On March 15, two days after his arrival at Ft. Lincoln after his vacation, Custer was summoned back to Washington to testify before Congress in its investigation of corruption in the government, partly by the President’s own brother, and General Custer helped in the investigation against him. Because President Grant was angry with Custer, he stripped him of his command. With Custer in Washington, being feted by Democrats as a possible candidate in the next election, and icily ignored by President Grant, a debate commenced as to who was to lead the Seventh Cavalry; General Alfred H. Terry, a lawyer with no Indian experience, or Major Marcus A. Reno, who was generally disliked because of ungentlemanly behavior. Plans had called for the Seventh Cavalry to depart Ft. Lincoln on April 6. Yet on May 1, Custer still sat in the presidential anteroom awaiting an audience with President Grant who, after five hours, sent out a message that the President was too busy to see Custer. Custer departed again for Ft. Lincoln, but upon his arrival in Chicago learned that he was again summoned back to Washington. Only a personal intercession with President Grant by Terry and Sheridan finally permitted Custer to rejoin his unit, but not to lead the expedition. In order to understand what happened, it is important first of all to know the geography of the area. Montana is a very big territory, and the area we are mostly interested in is the Southeastern corner which contains the Yellowstone River. The steam boats which carried supplies traveled from Fort Abraham Lincoln, near Bismarck, up the Missouri River, and from there into the Yellowstone River. There are several smaller rivers which are tributaries of the Yellowstone that need to be mentioned. One is the Rosebud River, which is where on June 17th, 1876, General Crook, who had been in this area the longest trying to control the Indians, was defeated by the Sioux Indians led by Crazy Horse. We know that Ft. Lincoln knew of this defeat, and of the overwhelming strength of the Indians and attempted to contact the 7th Cavalry but were too late. The next tributary along is called the Little Bighorn, which as it increases in size becomes the Bighorn, and then it empties into the Yellowstone River. The terrain in that part of Montana is rugged with steep hills (the Wolf Mountains) ranging between the river valleys. There was no chance of a long range vision of the events of those days. In order to understand the story, you need to know about the major participants from the Army. General Alfred Terry (called No Hip by the Indians as he was lame) was the Commanding Officer, and he led the 7th Cavalry, which had come from Fr. Abraham Lincoln, starting out on May 17th of that year. The three main sub officers were: Colonel Gibbon, Major Reno, and Lieutenant Colonel George A Custer. (His rank of General was honorary, and didn’t include any increase in pay or advance in command.) Others that are mentioned that are of interest to this story are “Bos” Boston Custer, George Custer's brother, who had gone to live in the West to improve his health. Schoolboy “Autie” Armstrong Reed had come because he wanted to spend his school vacation fighting the Indians. He was Custer’s nephew - son of his sister Lydia. Captain Tom Custer, Custer's brother, lived with George and Libbie Custer, and had made a very bad enemy of Rain-in-the Face by imprisoning him at Fort Abraham Lincoln the winter previous. First Lt. James Calhoun, who was Custer’s brother-in-law, married to his sister, Maggie.
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Kellogg’s first dispatchMay 17, 1876 In Camp, May 14th - Your correspondent joined the expedition Sunday and went into camp. At that time the order for march was given for 5 o’clock Monday morning; but owing to the severity of the storm of Sunday evening, the order was countermanded, and the expedition was not moved until Wednesday morning. The appearance of the camp is very inspiring and brings vividly to mind days agone, during the late unpleasantness, when grim visaged war stalked boldly over the land. Located three miles below Fort Lincoln on a beautiful table of land, level as a floor, and on the banks of the Missouri on the east, with a range of coteaus in the west at a distance of two miles; overlooking a panoramic view that is peculiarly attractive. Officers and men are in the best of health and spirits, not withstanding the depressing effects of the weather, and eager to move. So far I have as yet ascertained the outfitting is compete in details as well in the aggregate. All of the 7th Cavalry are connected with the expedition, including the three companies lately arrived from the south. Gen. Terry proposes to carry an ample supply of provisions with the marching column to provide against the possible failure of the supply boats to reach Glendive Creek, the position for the proposed depot of supplies on the Yellowstone. All available means of transportation is required for transporting, and its organization has required much attention of the officers. Gen, Terry says that the LINE OF MARCH will follow Gen. Stanley’s trail of 1873. The hostile Indians are in camp on the Little Missouri, Big Horn and Powder Rivers. The expedition will make a stand at the crossing on the Gen. Stanley Trail. Gen. Gibbons’ command are marching east from Ft. Ellis with two hundred cavalry. Gen. Terry sent orders Sunday via Ft. Ellis to Gen. Gibbon to move down the Yellowstone to Stanley’s stockade above Glendive Creek - if possible to cross over to attack the Indians at the mouth of the Powder River. PERSONAL Gen. Alfred H. Terry is arranging for the campaign with all of his well known executive ability brought into play. His courteous manner and kindly tones win fast the affections of the men in his command. Nothing seems to escape his notice, not even the smallest detail and I am safe in stating that no expedition of the Government has ever excelled in preparation and careful detail, as the one now about to move. Gen. Geo. A. Custer, dressed in a dashing suit of buckskin, is prominent everywhere. Here, there flitting to and fro, in his quick eager way, taking in with everything connected with his command, as well as generally, with the keen incisive manner for which he is so well known. The General is full of perfect readiness for a fray with the hostile red devils and woe to the body of scalplifters that comes within reach of himself and brave companions in arms. JOTTINGS I have visited every department and every position of the camp, and find everywhere perfect preparation order and system. Everything is moving along like clockwork. The citizen teamsters, and other citizens connected have accepted the situation and are ready and anxious to move. This morning some ambulance mules were missing. The scouts took the trail and after an hour or so, came upon them, securely fastened to trees in the dense forests about two miles southeast of the camp and brought them in. The thieves supposed the expedition would move at daybreak this morning; that there would not be time to hunt for lost stock, and after the soldiers were away, they could take their mules in any direction they chose. It was a cunning scheme, but fell through. We will break camp at three a.m. Wednesday and move at 5 a.m. weather permitting and now that all is ready everyone is anxious to start to be rid of the ennui of camp life. And now at this writing two p.m. May 15th, the elements promise pouring rains, which may defer the proposed moving on the morning of the 17th. This day’s delay has allowed time for a fuller preparation. if that was necessary or possible; and if anything is left undone, it will be something beyond the comprehension of men whose experience and judgment have prepared in general and detail so completely that nothing seems remaining undone. During a short INTERVIEW held with Gen Terry, to-day, he informed me that there was to be no child’s play as regards the Indians. They must be taught that the Government was not to be trifled with, and such measures would be taken as would learn the Indians to feel and recognize that there existed in the land an arm and power which they must obey. FRONTIER
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